Jo Dooba So Paar; Love In Bihar

Indian Express rating: **

There is a certain pleasure that comes out of watching films set where they ought to be: ‘Jo Dooba So Paar; Love In Bihar’ starts with a wonderful authentic vibe,and a sense of liberation from the faux studio-created-Bihar and Biharis that Bollywood loves to flaunt. And there’s even greater pleasure to be had from a film that sets out to cock a ‘snookwa’ in just the right accent,at things not Bihari : down with all the non-provincial snobs. Keshu,pronounced quite properly Kesu,for the most part,is a likely lad who loses his heart to a ‘firangan’ at first sight,and the rest of it is about what happens after.

Sapna (Spada) is the ‘gori’ who arrives in Kesu’s town to research Madhubani art. So naturally,Keshu proffers tip-top services in his ‘toota-phoota angrezi’ : he will take Sapna by the hand,they will sing songs by the river,and live happily ever after. But things intervene : beastly ‘baaps’,protective ‘chachas’,a gang of kidnappers,a clueless American boyfriend. Finally,it is up to Kesu to do the right thing.

Despite the intermittent chuckles which fade away as the film progresses,’Jo Dooba So Paar’ never really lives up to its terrific potential : a naïve Amrikan-Desi girl,roaming around on her own,is just asking for it,isn’t she; a top cop (Kapoor) who calls her a ‘honhaar yuvati’ (full marks to those who’ve written this peach of a phrase,apart from some choice others) has to be right there,in the middle of it all,hasn’t he ; and an embittered local ‘thulla’ (Pathak) has to be in on it too,doesn’t he. The plot is organically grown,the director knows his ground,but the sure-footedness slips when it comes to that crucial thing : story-telling.

Anand Tiwari does a good job of repping the Bihari Boy in wannabe-torn-at-the-knees jeans who will do anything for his beloved,including throwing some great tantrums when he should not,which is the hot-headed lover-like thing to do. The gang he hangs out with is not outlined as well,including Pitobash as the canary yellow-shirted,English-spouting fellow. Spada is uneven,too. So is the film,which starts well and then peters out.

shubhra.gupta@expressindia.com